Commuter Stories

Tilmann Glimm

Tilmann Glimm has worked at WWU since 2005 and has found sustainable transportation to be a natural choice for his commute! Tilmann rides the bus to work every day. He got started with the bus in Bellingham because he has always used public transportation, no matter where he has lived. This has included both Germany and Atlanta, and Tilmann adds that the public transportation in Bellingham is one of the really great assets of living here.

Tilmann enjoys riding the bus because he finds it to be less stressful than driving. He says it is also a nice transition into and out of work, and it gives him the opportunity to walk a little bit before and after his ride. He used to use his time on the bus to read, but now downloads free podcasts and radio shows to listen to on his mp3 player.

Tilmann’s commute has been affected by bus service cuts, and so his current walk is a bit longer, but Tilmann still finds public transport to be a natural first choice. He makes use of a convenient ‘go line’ with departures every 15 minutes. In fact, when Tilmann and his wife got married, they had two cars, but found they really didn’t need both with the ease of using public transportation. They got rid of their second car and he still can’t think of a single situation when they would have needed it! Tilmann and his wife are going to be looking for a house soon, and the accessibility of public transportation is definitely a factor for them in their search.

The main reason that Tilmann chooses to ride the bus is the cost. “Parking is expensive,” he says. And although it is not his primary motivation, he says that ecologically, it makes sense. As a result, his first impulse is to ride the bus, rather than drive his car.

The biggest challenge for Tilmann is riding the bus when it is rainy and dark in the winter, or when he misses a bus. Tilmann’s best advice for beginning bus riders: plan your trip, because in some places, if you miss your bus, you have to wait for an hour for the next one. Usually on his route, because he uses a ‘Go Line’, if he misses one bus, another is along shortly. Also, he suggests using an mp3 player to enjoy on your ride.

Tilmann chooses to log his Smart Trips at www.whatcomsmarttrips.org because he likes the chance to win things! Coincidentally, when his wife was an employee at WWU, she was also randomly selected as the monthly WWU Smart Trips winner! As Smart Trips participants, Tilmann and his wife are eligible not only for prize drawings and discounts at local businesses, but also for emergency rides home. Luckily, they have never had to use one.

Contact The Sustainable Transportation Office to learn more about your commuting options. Also, log your smart trips at www.whatcomsmarttrips.org to become eligible for cash prizes, discounts and other rewards.